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The Met Office has introduced Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) flood warnings on its website so users can access weather and flood warnings all in one place.

Updated every 15 minutes, the widget available on the Met Office homepage provides an overview of Flood Alerts and Warnings that are in force. More detailed information including a map and details of areas affected are also available so that users can keep up to date with the latest information when flooding is forecast.

Rob Varley, Director of Operations and Services at the Met Office said: "Severe weather and the effects of flooding can have a huge impact on our lives. Working in partnership with our flood risk colleagues we are bringing flood warnings together with Met Office weather warnings. This helps you get the information you need so you can plan, prepare and protect yourself from severe weather and the flooding impacts it can bring."

The Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency work closely with the Met Office to constantly monitor the impact of heavy rainfall, river levels and sea conditions to forecast the possibility of flooding. If flooding is forecast, three types of warning are issued. These are flood alerts, flood warnings and severe flood warnings.

Katharine Evans, Flood Risk Manager at the  Environment Agency said: "'Keeping up to date with the latest flood warnings is a vital step in protecting yourself from the risks of flooding. The Environment Agency is making its flood warning data available to partners such as the Met Office to ensure that flood warning information is readily available in accessible places, such as partner websites, social media sites such as Facebook, news websites and as a smart phone app."

David Pirie, Director of Science and Strategy at the  Scottish Environment Protection Agency said: "This initiative aims to make vital information even more accessible to those who need it, which is at the core of SEPA's partnership with the Met Office. When people look online at the weather forecast, they're now better prompted to think ahead about potential flooding impacts and what action they can take to reduce its impact on their lives."

The Met Office provides a range of services that help the public and authorities prepare for and respond to emergencies that are caused or influenced by the weather.

The National Severe Weather Warning Service helps keep you and your community safe, providing timely and accurate information about the likelihood and impact of severe weather affecting the UK. Our warnings help you plan, prepare and protect yourself and others from the impacts of severe weather.

Contact information

Met Office Press Office: +44 (0)1392 886655

E-mail: Press Office

Met Office Customer Centre: 0870 900 0100

If you're outside the UK: +44 1392 885680